Tiger Woods' car crash throws spotlight on family life of this most private of sportsmen

Tiger Woods’ car crash in the early hours of the morning amid claims of
marital strife has cast a spotlight on the family life of this deeply
private sporting legend, writes Philip Sherwell in New York.

He is the first billion-dollar earning sportsman, whose skills on the fairway and the green have long been the subject of chatter at 19th holes around the world.

But this weekend the talk was all about how Tiger Woods came to be lying bleeding and dazed in the street after his wife said she had rescued him from his car by smashing a window with a golf club after a crash in the early hours.

There were initial fears for Woods’ career after reports that he had sustained serious injuries. He was unconscious for six minutes and bleeding from his mouth, according to an emergency call report compiled by police.

But after he was released from hospital in “good condition”, questions turned to the unusual circumstances of an accident that came on the heels of tabloid news reports about his personal life.

For a famously private individual whose brand is built as much on his wholesome reputation as a clean-living family man as his sporting prowess, it is the last publicity he would wish for.

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Florida state troopers were turned away for a second time on Saturday night by his agent who said the star was unavailable to answer questions. They are now scheduled to interview him on Sunday when the tapes of the emergency call will also be released.

But as his inner circle of family and advisers closed ranks, the delay in talking to police has only fuelled suspicions about what happened in his gated lakeside community near Orlando early Friday after the Thanksgiving holiday. Charges were said to be possible.

What is known is that 2.25am, the world’s richest athlete, who was alone, drove his Cadillac SUV into a fire hydrant and tree in front of a neighbour’s house. The car’s air bags did not deploy, suggesting it was travelling at less than 33mph.

A few hours earlier, the turkey may have been served amid some tension at the $2.4?million (£1.5?million) mansion where Woods lives with his wife, Elin Nordegren, a Swedish model, and their two young children.

Yesterday, a party events organiser denied reports that were published on Wednesday in the downmarket tabloid newspaper the National Enquirer that she was having an affair with Woods, 33. “God forbid Tiger got into a car wreck because of this false report of him having an affair,” Rachel Uchitel told another newspaper.

“Despite it being completely untrue, it still must certainly have caused some problems at home – if I was his wife, I probably would have killed him.”

Ms Uchitel, whose fiancé died in the September 11 terrorist attacks on New York, was romantically linked to a married US television actor last year.

The Hollywood entertainment website tmz.com claimed that Woods had argued with his wife after she confronted him about the allegations and that she had chased after his car.

The varying reports on Woods’s injuries raised more questions. Police initially described his condition as “serious” on their accident report after he was taken to hospital for treatment.

But in a brief joint statement issued later in the day by the golfer’s office and the hospital, he was reported to have been discharged in “good condition” after a “minor car accident”. The injuries were simply some facial cuts, it was reported.

Daniel Saylor, the district police chief for Windermere, said that when his officers arrived Woods was drifting in and out of consciousness and bleeding from the mouth with a “frantic, upset” Miss Nordegren, 29, standing over him in the street.

She told them that she had broken the car’s rear window with a golf club and helped her 6ft 1in, 13 stone husband out of the vehicle because its doors were locked from inside.

Why she emerged carrying a golf club on hearing the crash from their house was not clear.

“He tried to get up and lost consciousness,” Mr Saylor said. “He was mumbling but didn’t say anything coherent.”

Mr Saylor said his officers “did not hear anything about an alleged argument between Woods and his wife” when they arrived at the scene.

Police reported that the incident was not alcohol-related although it was not clear if Woods had been given a breathalyser test. Officers first tried to interview him on Friday at his home but his wife said he was sleeping.

The only comment from the Woods camp came in the brief statement issued by his office on Friday. It read, in full: “Tiger Woods was in a minor car accident outside his home last night. He was admitted, treated and released in good condition. We appreciate very much everyone’s thoughts and well wishes.”

The accident has cast an unwelcome spotlight on the off-course life of a star who has avoided the scandal and pitfalls that often dog sports players living in the media glare.

His next public appearance — which would be the first time the extent of those facial lacerations will become clear — is scheduled this week at a charity golf tournament he holds near his birthplace in southern California.

When Woods won the FedEx Cup title in September, Forbes magazine estimated that he became the first sportsman to cross the billion-dollar threshold for prize money, sponsorship, appearance fees, bonuses and golf course design.

He has endorsement contracts with companies including Gatorade, Gillette and Rolex, but the most lucrative deal is with Nike. It added a golf division on the back of the partnership that now has sales of $800?million (£486? million) a year and it pays him $30?million (£18.2?million) annually.

His value to the sports industry was illustrated when he recently missed eight months’ play, recovering from reconstructive surgery on his left knee. Revenues and attendances for major golf tournaments dropped by an estimated 40 per cent during his absence.

Woods has won six tournaments, though no majors, since his return this year. But his mood swings have attracted as much attention as his golf swings, culminating in a recent incident when he hurled his club away after a wayward shot, narrowly missing spectators.

Woods was christened Eldrick but nicknamed Tiger after a Vietnamese soldier friend of his father, Earl. He was a child prodigy who first picked up a club when he was just two.